


Rent-A-Date

by MsCharles



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anal Fingering, Anal Play, Anal Sex, Angst, Bisexual Male Character, Blow Jobs, Casual Updates, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, Fluff and Smut, Gay Male Character, Gay Sex, Graphic Description, Inappropriate Humor, LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, Medical Conditions, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Not Beta Read, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining, Polyamorous Character, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Smut, Spunky Grandmothers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-16
Updated: 2020-04-02
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:14:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22746895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsCharles/pseuds/MsCharles
Summary: "Youliedto her?Are you fucking stupid?"Of all the moronic things that Qrow could have done, could have said; he did the one thing that he knew, with absolute certainty, that Raven would murder him for.It wasn’t his fault that his love life sucked.  He didn’t need it to be rubbed in his face every single time a family function or event happened. So he lied. And now with his sister's wedding on the rise, Qrow finds himself trapped in a thoughtless lie with only one logical solution to escape Raven's impending wrath.He would have to Rent-A-Date.(Warning: casual updates and upbeta read)
Relationships: Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi, Raven Branwen/Summer Rose/Taiyang Xiao Long
Comments: 43
Kudos: 121





	1. Birds of A Feather

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer:
> 
> All ownership of RWBY and characters belong to RoosterTeeth and created by Monty Oum.  
> (Cuz if I did own them, V7C12 would have gone a lot different and FairGame would be canon 😘)
> 
> Original concept and dialogue for this story are the only things I take created for.

_The tundra winds were fierce and harsh against his skin, the sting almost welcoming compared to the ache of betrayal that gripped around his heart. It was just his luck, that the one person that he opened up to - that he_ **_trusted_ ** _\- would turn their back on him._

 _Munin watched as his partner -_ **_ex-partner_ ** _\- slowly pulled himself up, arm pressing against his stomach. The guilt came swiftly, seeing the other man injured, knowing that it had been by his own hand - a hand that trembled at his side, fist clenching._

_Anger and hurt bubbled and mixed in his chest, his heart retching. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. Why? Why did this have to happen? They were on the same side, comrades in arms against the same enemy. So why did they have to fight?_

_“Why…” his voice came out broken, emotion tainting the sound as he fought to catch his breath. They had always been an even match - a_ **_perfect_ ** _match; their spars usually always ending a draw, with the rare occasion that one would get a step up on the other. “Why couldn’t you just do the right thing… instead of what you were_ **_told_ ** _?!”_

_The wind carried his voice across the empty space between them. The frustration slipping into furious rage, a desperate plea to understand._

_“Sometimes the right decision is the hardest to make.” Ace got to his feet slowly, his own breath labored and harsh. Those deep green eyes locked with rustic red, his own gaze and voice just as fierce. “I trust Jason with my_ **_life_ ** _!”_

_Munin felt his anger slip away. He recognized that look, that tone, that level of loyalty. Not long ago he had felt the same thing, that same level of devotion and surety. It was an admirable trait and rare quality that many did not have, but it was also narrow minded, stupid and blinding._

_“I wanted to trust you.”_

_The scythe wielder didn’t know how to respond to that. The way Ace looked at him as he said it, the regret and longing that he could see in those eyes. It became clear, at that moment, Ace was just as conflicted about the situation as he was. The Specialist didn’t want to fight._

_Munin swallowed thickly; his throat suddenly felt too tight. He thought back to what happened on the shuttle, how Ace had warned Munin about the warrant, about the warrant for his kids. Something that the younger man didn’t need to do, would probably be reprimanded for. He had always been a fair, but law-binding man._

_He had trusted Munin with that information. Had hoped that Munin would in turn trust him as well. Instead, the elder huntsman had turned his blade on him. Successfully severing that trust as he refused Ace’s second attempt to talk and even teamed up with that psychopath Tyrian._

_Munin allowed his stance to relax, relieved that Ace’s own body language seemed to ease in response. His green eyes softened, and Munin could see the repentance that hid underneath the soldiers mask, as it cracked and fell away. Once again, leaving the real Ace staring back at him._

_It happened in a flash. Within a fraction of a second too late Munin saw the reflection._

_Time seemed to stop as Munin’s beloved Harbinger was thrust up and through Ace’s chest. Red sprayed. The bright color staining the silver of the blade, the pristine white uniform and snow._

~ * ~

Qrow scowled at his computer screen, not at all happy with what he just wrote. He reread the whole scene; once, twice, even a third time and felt his frustration inch a touch higher each time.

It wasn’t at all how he meant to write it. The argument on the shuttle, the crash, the epic clash between his characters - it all came together perfectly. It was engaging, with just the right amount of drama and tension to draw the audience in.

And yet…

Qrow sighed, slumping back into his desk chair. He absently rubbed his tired eyes, his glasses sliding down his nose. He could feel the tale-tell signs of a headache starting to brew at the back of his mind.

He had been working for nearly three hours now. Crafting and slowly building up the suspense. The first six battles had flowed easily; one after another falling seamingly into place. He had been looking forward to them, the sheer number of posted notes that littered all over his workstation - outlining little details about each fight - was proof of that.

The seventh battle however…

Qrow groaned. No matter how many times he rewrote it, he still wasn’t satisfied with it. Every time he would start fresh and every single time he would hit the same mental block. He _knew_ how he wanted the scene to end - how he wanted the book to end. So why the hell couldn’t he write the damn thing?

“What’s your problem?”

Half lidded garnet eyes glared over to the doorway. He wasn’t in the mood for visitors, his headache already pounding at the base of his skull. “Go away, Robyn.”

She was leaning casually against the open door frame, arms crossed lightly over her chest. He could practically feel her eyes ranking over him, taking note of his disheveled appearance. From the tousled black hair, the purple hue under his tired eyes, rumpled clothes and defeated slouch. He only hoped that for once, the glare he sent her way would actually work, and she would leave him alone.

The platinum blonde snorted. “Not going to happen.”

It would seem that dreams weren’t coming true today.

Qrow closed his eyes, another heavy sigh falling from his mouth, a hand coming up to rub at the tension at the back of his neck. “Nothing. Now _go_ **_away_ **.”

“Bullshit.”

Qrow bit off the nasty growl that crawled up his throat. Mentally reminding himself that it would only encourage the blasted woman to keep poking at him. Something he most definitely was not in the mood for. As much as he appreciated her companionship and blunt honesty, he really hated how she had a natural knack in calling him on his shit.

And if it wasn’t for the fact that she was his cousin, best friend and publisher, he probably would have strangled her years ago and hid the body. Even with years of kick boxing under her belt, Qrow knew that he could take her… if he could catch her off guard.

“Come on.” She pushed off the door frame, inviting herself in, ignoring how Qrow sat upright defensively as she drew near, his eyes snapping open and glaring murderously. She propped herself up on the desk, an easy smile on her lips. “Spill.”

“Will you go away if I do?”

“Nope.”

Qrow groaned, throwing his hands up in the air, fingers scrubbing roughly at his hair. He really did hate how easily she could get under his skin. Stubbornness being a common occurrence in their family. It was handy when dealing with bullheads like his nieces, however, it was also a pain in the ass when you were on the receiving end of it. Then again, patience also seemed to be a blessed talent among their kin.

And in his current condition, Qrow was very much aware that he was strong in the former and not so much the latter.

Robyn, however, seemed to have enough of both today. Although, out of the two of them, she was most definitely more hotheaded and quick to temper when provoked or baited. She was also brilliant, with a quick wit and sharp tongue. All qualities that she was more than aware of and used to her advantage when doing her job. It was what made her one of the best publishers in the city.

She also wasn’t above using those same skills against family to get what she wanted.

“You’re making them fight?”

Qrow blinked out of his little musing, absently pushing up his glasses. Robyn’s violet gaze was on his computer, swiftly taking in its contents. There was a small frown on her face as she read, clearing not liking what she was seeing.

Normally it would bother him if someone tried to read his work before it was finished. It was a small pet peeve of his. But he couldn’t bring himself to care. He was probably going to delete and rewrite it again anyways. 

Another sigh. “... yeah…”

“ _And_ you’re killing off Ace?” Robyn reread it again, completely shocked. “Why in the hell would you do that?”

Qrow stared unseeing at the screen. It honestly wasn’t part of his plan to kill off Ace Fable's character. The scene wasn’t meant to play out that way. In fact, if Ace died, it would completely screw up the dynamic for what he had planned for the rest of the series. He would have to re-plot and plan from scratch.

He _hated_ doing that.

“Wow, Qrow.” Robyn shook her head. “Ace was the last character I expected you to off. I mean, why?” She looked back at her cousin. “You spent a good chunk of the last book building up his character and his relationship with Munin. What would be the point in his death?”

“Dramatic effect?”

“Well that’s just stupid.”

Qrow laughed. There was that blunt honesty again. “Yeah… I know.” He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “I’m having a bit of a block.”

“Wake Locke up.” The blonde suggested. “I mean, come on!” She waved her arms up in the air carelessly. “She’s just laying there. You know I would _never_ just roll over without a fight.”

Qrow raised an eyebrow. “Even after being in a plane crash?”

Robyn crossed her arms, cockily tilting her chin at him, flashing him a confident smirk. “Ya damn straight!”

He laughed, thoughts trailing to the character he had based on his rough and tough cousin. Even went so far as to name her after the blonde. Robyn Locke was an overconfident, aggressive, yet kind-hearted woman who put the needs of the people before herself. And she had no problems bending, or _breaking_ , the law to see justice served. When he had first created his series, Locke was one of the first characters that he had created. Although he waited until later in the series to introduce her, he had her entire character written up before he even wrote the first word - her appearance, personality, weapon, even her special ability.

Every detail was based on a brazen blonde he called kin.

Qrow had kept it a secret. Which was hard, as the woman always knew when he was keeping something from her. Thankfully, she didn’t press, already guessing that it probably pertained to something about the plot.

When he had finally, _finally_ , introduced Locke - and dedicated the book in his cousin’s name - Robyn was ecstatic. Especially when she found out that Locke was a walking, talking lie-detector.

He would be lying if he said that he hadn’t considered bringing Locke into play. Had even played around with it. However, unlike the previous battle, it seemed a bit over crowded with Tyrian still lurking in the background.

Qrow clicked his tongue. “Doesn’t fit.”

He pulled his glasses off, accepting the fact that he wasn’t about to get anymore work done today. There was no point in continuing while he was stumped. The last thing he wanted was to force and push something out. That just led to sloppy writing. Regardless, he would have to come back to it eventually. Hopefully with a clear mind and an idea on how to rework everything to his satisfaction.

Qrow quickly saved his progress, tucking his glasses away safely in their case, and jolted down another few side notes. He could feel Robyn’s quiet gaze studying him and did his best to pretend not to notice.

“Something else is bothering you.” Her voice was soft, just a hint of worry etched in.

“What makes you say that?” He wouldn’t look at her - _couldn’t_ look at her. Not with her sounding so concerned. It was a serious weakness of his. And they both knew it.

Robyn nudged him roughly with her foot to get him to look at her. Only succeeding after the first two failed and the third connected just a tad too hard. “Because you don’t get writer’s block. Ever.” Violet searched granet. “And you sure as hell wouldn’t kill off the fictional embodiment of your dream guy, unless something was really bothering you.”

Qrow blinked owlishly, completely dumbfounded. “My what now?”

“Your dream guy.” The deep red flush that suddenly inflamed Qrow’s face had her nearly falling off the desk in laughter. “You didn’t think you were actually being _subtle_ about that did you?”

Actually… he did.

Captain Ace Fable - standing tall at six-foot- two, with a slender waist, well defined chest, broad shoulders, long legs, matched with stunningly deep green eyes, wavy golden brown hair and a smile that could make even the most surly weak in the knees - was probably one of his favourite characters outside of Rouge and Munin. As the leader of the Specialty Forces of Titan City’s military, he was highly skilled in many forms of combat, excelling at restraining and detaining his opponents, and considered one of the greatest fighters among his peers. Personality wise, he could be described as charming, confident and charismatic. And although always friendly to those around him, with an optimistic view and easy going persona, there lay a few hidden, deep and jaded scars. Shadows of a painful past that left him hesitant to let his guard down and allow anyone to get too close, fearful to trust. To top it all off the man was a tactical genius, with a brilliant insight. Other than his blinding and fierce loyalty to his General, he was practically perfect.

The template that Qrow had drawn up for the character was carefully thought out. From the way Ace looked, how he fought, his personality, everything. However, when it had come time to introduce the Specialty Forces, Qrow had found himself detouring from his original concept. And before he knew it, Ace Fabel had become something different… something more.

They were polar opposites; Munin and Ace. The contrast between their skills and personalities being part of the charm of their unusual and unique partnership. Where one was realistic and slightly morbid, the other balanced it out with a wholesome and optimistic flare. Individually, they brought a kind of depth and dynamic from two different stand-points. But when put together, they became a deadly and unstoppable combo.

It had only been after Qrow had finished his previous book that he realized just how much he altered from his original design of Ace’s character - specifically his physical appearance. He didn’t think it would be that big of a deal. It wasn’t like anyone would be over-analyzing it.

Except if they were Robyn, of course. Which he really shouldn’t be too surprised that she noticed. They did grow up together.

Qrow rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed at being caught. “Was it that obvious?”

Robyn shook her head. “Maybe not to others. But to me? _Please…_ you told me right from the start that you based Munin off of yourself. And suddenly there’s this new character _flirting_ with your lovable doppelganger?”

She had a point. And it annoyed him.

“Munin is a lady’s man.”

Now he was being stubborn.

“No more so than yourself.” Was her quick retort, followed by a sassy wink. “And because he is _you_ , that makes him both a lady’s and man’s man.”

“Know-it-all.”

“Grump.”

“Bitch.”

“Ass.”

“Lesbo.”

“And proud - dick slut.”

They both burst out laughing.

It felt good to joke and relax. Their old banter easing the last of the stress that still clenched around his shoulders. No matter the situation, Qrow could always count on Robyn to cheer him up. Even if she really was a know-it-all, annoying bitch sometimes.

“Raven called.”

Silence.

“... my condolences…”

Qrow chuckled humorlessly. It was no secret that Raven and Robyn were not fans of each other. They always avoided each other whenever they could; only mingling for family affairs, and only if they had to. And even those were rare occurrences.

It hadn’t always been that way. Once upon a time, the three of them were inseparable. Always running off and getting into all kinds of trouble. Raven, being the oldest, had self-proclaimed herself the leader of their little trio. Insisting to take the blame whenever one of their schemes backfired and they got caught. Eventually, Robyn had deemed it not fair and demanded that they all share the blame. They were a team, a single unit.

 _Birds of a Feather_ they had called their small odd flock. Three childlike minds thinking it a clever play on their names.

Things changed, though, after the divorce. Raven had decided to go live with their father, while Qrow had stayed with their mom. The distance apart became more than just the miles between them, and as Qrow and Robyn remained as close as ever, Raven isolated herself from them.

He missed those days. When the three of them would run off on some grand adventure without a care in the world.

“They set a date.”

“Oh, goody.” Robyn’s voice was carefully neutral. “And?”

“And…” Qrow hesitated, debating if he should really say anything more. Especially with how quiet and still Robyn suddenly was. Which was never a good or bad sign. Damn poker face. “She… she wanted to know if I was going to bring someone… or if she could give my plus one to someone that will actually _use_ it.”

“Bitch.”

He couldn’t stop the little snort of humor that escaped him. “Raven will always be Raven.”

Robyn rolled her eyes, groaning at the deflection. “Please! She’s a bully who gets off at tormenting people.”

Qrow didn’t have a retort for that one. And frankly, didn’t feel like trying to defend Raven and her horribly abrasive personality this time. As much as he loved his sister, she really could be an apathetic bitch sometimes.

He would admit, she had gotten better since meeting her partners. Raven’s mannerism and overall attitude towards others had significantly improved when she started dating her highschool sweetheart, Summer. Although, to this day, Qrow still wasn’t sure how someone like the silver-eyed angel had ended up with a sour-puss.

They had hit it off instantly, him and Summer. Which in turn, helped with his somewhat strained relationship with Raven. There were still moments of tension between them but at least they could be somewhat civil to each other.

They met Tai in college, during one of their dorms’ New Years Eve parties. Raven had caught the poor blonde practically drooling over her girlfriend, the drunken idiot not even trying to be subtle on how he stared at her. Surprisingly though, instead of kicking his ass, like Qrow thought Raven was going to do, she asked Summer if she wanted the blonde to _join_ them for the evening.

Twelve years and two beautiful daughters later, the three of them were getting married.

Qrow was happy for them - happy for Raven. It was hard enough maintaining a relationship with one partner, especially a polyamorous relationship. So he truly wished them all the happiness in the world.

But there was one small little itty-bitty problem…

A problem that had him swallowing nervously as Robyn leaned forward, eyes narrowing. “Please tell me that you told her to shove her plus one.”

“I… uh…”

“ _Qrow…_ ”

He flinched at the way she practically growled out his name; doing his best not to appear intimidated by her tone and slowly building rage. If it was one thing that Raven and Robyn had in common, it was their tempers. It was terrifying how much the two resembled each other when caught in the throes of anger.

Not that he would ever tell either of them that. He didn’t have a death wish.

_“What. Did. You. Say?”_

Or maybe he did.

“I... kinda - sorta - _told_ her that I… already… had one?”

They stared at each other in silence; her violet eyes processing, searching. The longer she stared at him, the more difficult it became to sit still. She always had that air to her - like she could just _look_ at you and know the truth. Qrow had seen her use it several times before, during tours and press conferences, and always tried his best never to give her a reason to turn that sharp, piercing gaze on him.

“Do you?”

…

“… n-no…”

Robyn’s eyes widened, finally understanding why Qrow had been brooding earlier. “You _lied_ to her?” She couldn’t believe this. Of all the moronic things that Qrow could have done, could have said; he did the one thing that they both knew, with absolute certainty, that Raven would murder him for. _“Are you fucking stupid_?”

Qrow dropped his head in his hands. The same sense of dread washing over him that had been haunting him all day. He didn’t know what the hell he was thinking when he had lied to Raven. He was just so angry with her and her condescending tone.

It wasn’t his fault that his love life sucked. He didn’t need it to be rubbed in his face every single time a family function or event happened.

So he lied. He very firmly and confidently told Raven that he would indeed need his plus one. In fact, he and his date would absolutely love to come up for the whole weekend, if that wasn’t too inconvenient.

It wasn’t until Raven accepted that Qrow realized the hole that he had dug himself into. A hole that just got deeper and deeper as Summer suddenly peeped ecstatically up in the background, followed by his nieces. The voices of excitement making him very much aware that Raven had had him on speaker phone.

He was screwed.

~ * ~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!! Thank you so very much for reading the first chapter of my story! It’s been a few years - 7 to be exact - since the last time I’ve written anything, so please be kind to me. I’m also not the greatest at multiple chapters, so please be patient. Of course, kudos and comments are appreciated, and if something bothers you, please be mature about it. I would be more than happy to talk about it :)
> 
> I personally do not ship Birds of a Feather as a romantic pairing myself, I do think that the two of them together platonically is corky, interesting and fun. And to me, a shipping name doesn’t always necessarily mean just romantic relations but can also be a relation of rivalry, friendship and family. If you are a romantic shipper for Birds of a Feather, and you did take offence to this chapter, then I apologise. That was not my intent and please know that I support you - as well as anyone else in love with a specific pairing. And I hope you keep supporting your favourite ships no matter what may or may not happen in the RWBY universe.
> 
> Thank you again for taking the time to read. I’ll do my best to update as often as I can :p


	2. Iron Feathers

_Rement Rent-A-Date._

The words scrolled across the top of the website was boldly and elegantly typed in Amazone BT font. They sat perfectly centre; not too big, not too small, just large enough to draw the readers eye. The deep purple script accented tastefully against the rich golden backdrop.

Qrow took his time reading the site’s description and rules of conduct. Although he was no stranger to the odd dating site or app, he was unfamiliar with this kind of thing. And until the other day, he hadn’t even considered it as something he would ever do.

He screwed up… royally. Not only by lying to his sister about having a date for the wedding, he also failed to acknowledge that their whole conversation was done on speaker phone. He may have been able to weasel his way out of the whole thing if it had been just between him and Raven, unfortunately however, Summer and his nieces had been in the background listening.

Now he had all three of them - Raven, Summer and Tai - blowing up his phone with constant questions and inquiries about his ‘date’.

And Robyn, bless her soul to heaven and hell and back again, had spent a good forty-five minutes reaming him out on his stupidity. Even going so far as to smack him upside the head a few times to emphasize her point.

He knew he deserved it; maybe not so much the actual hitting, but the yelling and name calling were arguably warranted. After all, the last time he had lied to Raven, and got caught, Qrow had ended up in the hospital with a pen stabbed into his leg. And that was when they were _kids_. He could only shudder at the thought of what she most certainly would do to him now that they were adults.

Thankfully, after she had cooled off some, and quite possibly grown bored with hitting him - unlikely - Robyn had a suggestion that could conceivably save him from a certain and painful death. Admitting, that during her last year of college, the blonde had gotten a job on an escorting site to help pay for tuition. She hadn’t stayed employed for long - just for a few months until she saved up enough money to finish the year.

Now, like most people, upon hearing _escort_ , Qrow’s mind had instantly begun conjuring up images of the more explicit aspects that were associated with the word. And even though he didn’t say anything out loud, the look on his face had earned him another slap upside the head.

A slap that he was positive he didn’t deserve; but wisely, decided to kept that opinion to himself.

The link that she gave him was for the same company that she had worked for. And even though she insisted that it was a safe and legitimate company, he had hesitated, but in the end promised her that he would at least take a look and think about it.

It took him two days to work up the nerve to actually check it out. It wasn’t like he had anything to lose, really, or any other options. And he was a tad curious…

What harm could it do just to take a little peek?

Qrow found himself more and more intrigued the longer he spent on the site. The layout was simplistic and easy to use; descriptions carefully crafted for anyone to understand. It wasn’t much different than how a dating site functioned. The main difference being the ‘employees’ were divided up based off of their own unique personalities, interests and hobbies, then placed among four different Communities: Beacon Intellects, Shade Extremists, Haven Romantics and Atlas Elites.

_Beacon Intellects:_

_A community comprised of individuals who finds enjoyment and craves stimulation through challenging and innovative conversation based on creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving._

Curious, Qrow clicked on Beacon. Several photos loaded onto the screen, with their ‘first’ name and a small summary underneath each one. The mass majority of them looking like they were professors or sophisticated aristocrats in their suits and formal attire.

Crimson eyes scanned over each mini summary, widening as the interests and so called _hobbies_ that were listed slowly became more and more advanced. Mathematics… bio-engineering… neuroscience… astrophysics? Forensic anthropology?

Seriously?!

Qrow was no slum; he had spent a good four years in college first getting his Bachelors in Creative Writing - even achieved in getting a Minor in Advanced Literature at the same time - then spent an additional three years to upgrade to his degree to Masters. He had worked his ass off, studied for hours, and spent countless days hunched over a computer screen. Creating a natural habit to slouch his shoulders that drove everyone in his family nuts. But it was worth it all, and he was damn proud of his academic achievements.

But this? Just reading what some of these people did for a living or for _fun_ , had his head spinning. There was no way he would be even remotely comfortable on a date with someone who spent their free time as a self-studied entomologist. What was he supposed to say?

 _Hey babe, nice_ **_bugs_ ** _?_

Nope.

Shaking his head, Qrow backed out to the Community’s main menu, not even bothering to take a more in-depth look at anyone's profile. He was sure that there was a great number of people in the world that would find most of that kind of stuff fascinating - maybe even exhilarating and down right sexy - but it wasn’t for him.

So moving on…

_Haven Romantics:_

_Romance is defined as a feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love and passion. If you are someone looking for that classic fairy tale love; with gestures of adoring and endless affection, then your prince or princess awaits just a click away._

Qrow wasn’t going to even touch that one. Sure he liked romance, didn’t mind being wooed - who didn’t? - and definitely enjoyed giving and receiving a certain level of affection. But an endless amount of it?

The thought alone brought back the rather unpleasant memory of a certain waitress that he used to date. She had been a sweet girl - a die-hard hopeless romantic with stars in her eyes - and Qrow enjoyed her company enormously and it had been going great for the first few weeks. Things changed, however, when he went on a mini book tour for a few days. At first he didn’t mind the constant texting or random phone calls - in fact, he thought it was because she missed him and that made it kinda cute. But the cuteness quickly wore off as it rapidly escalated - nonstop texting, constant calling, multiple voice mails, weird love letters. The last straw though had been when he came home from a night out with Robyn, celebrating the completion of his new book, to find his house broken into and his study completely destroyed, with **_CHEATER_ ** spray painted on the walls, and his laptop - with the only copies all of his finished and unfinished work on it - smashed to pieces and _urinated_ on.

Needless to say, the whole experience had left a poor taste in his mouth and made him rather cautious about dating anyone that claimed to be a hopeless romantic.

So he was going to skip that one for now.

_Atlas Elites:_

_Not everything is based off of power, wealth or authority. True elites are people who are strong and confident in their own mindset and body. If inner strength and self-assertion are things that you admire and find alluring, then what are you waiting for?_

Qrow double tapped on the link, leaning back, and raised both of his arms above his head, groaning as he stretched the kink out of his back. He reclined further, closing his eyes as he pushed into the bend, sighing satisfyingly as he felt something finally pop and dropped his arms. He debated briefly on getting up, use the bathroom, and maybe finding something to eat while he was up and about.

Possibly order a pizza? Yeah… he could go for a pizza.

Decision made, Qrow made to get up, eyes flickering back to his computer, only for all thoughts of bathroom breaks and food to vanish. 

Deep blue eyes stared back at him from out of the screen, and Qrow found himself mesmerised by their sheer intensity. He forced himself to look away, to take in the photo in its entirety. It was a selfie, taken from a slight upward angle and from the right - his right? - side. The look in those blue eyes was wicked, perfectly matching the smirk aimed to entice and intrigue. Short, messed black hair, lining with silver grey, fell against porcelain skin, his jaw hugged by well maintained scruff.

Something twisted in his lower stomach, hot and heavy.

The man was fucking gorgeous, and _knew_ it.

Qrow by passed reading the mini summary under the picture, quickly clicking on his name.

**JAMES**

As soon as the page was loaded, Qrow dove right in. He wasted no time scrolling through the other photos James had. Eyes hungrily eating up every detail. They were dated, with a brief caption with either a mini blurb about the photo or a quote to match the photos theme.

The man used real literature quotes, from infamous historical figureheads… Qrow literally felt his heart swoon.

The pictures themselves were both captivating and simple. The first was an older shot, according to the date, with James decked out in his full military garb, minus the hat. Though straight faced and regal, his eyes practically screamed authority and respect. The white and navy blue uniform stretched across his broad shoulders was befitting and made his hair seem darker, fuller. The medals, no doubt shined to perfection, were angled just so to catch the light and proudly displayed.

It was classy and dignified; making a clear statement about the man’s character. Plus, he looked damn good in a uniform, something Qrow took a good long moment to appreciate.

The second was from this past Christmas and had a more relaxed feeling to it. James’ smile was blinding as he stood in front of an enormous, artfully decorated tree. The Christmas sweater he wore was horrendously hideous - the design on the front being a naked and extremely hairy chest, complete with a very pudgy pot belly. Multi-colour Christmas lights looped around the neckline like jewellery, with matching red and green ornaments hanging off each nipple. And to complete the look, Merry Christmas, as well as other Christmas themed icons - a gingerbread man, mini tree, holly, candy canes - were ‘tattooed’ in random places.

It took Qrow almost ten minutes to stop laughing. The sweater was bad enough, but the man just looked so _proud_.

The last picture was… well… in a word, **_stimulating_ **. James stood casually, hair slicked back, hands tucked into a pair of dark red swim trunks and a white, short-sleeved button up that hung wide-open. Soft white sand and endless green and blue water surrounded him, making those eyes seem even darker, almost black. The exposed skin of his left side - arm, leg and abdomen - were slightly scarred, speaking wordlessly of past hardships and trauma. Regardless, it was clear that the man took great pride in the imperfections, purposely tilting that side of his body closer to the camera, and took care to keep himself in shape, even if retired, with how firm and defined his arms, torso and legs were.

It was incredible the story that James presented in his photos alone; not just the evident personality, but also how the man looked like he was crafted from iron and encased in ivory-white skin that appeared as soft as down-feathers. All of it had Qrow wanting to meet the man, not as a hired date - although he most _definitely_ was interested - but as an equal. It was clear that the cobalt eyed stud had a story to tell and that only made him more fascinating to Qrow.

He wanted - no, he _craved_ to know more.

He took one more lingering look through the photos before scrolling down to read the rest of the ex-general's profile. His curiosity only peeked after such alluring and riveting images. 

  * _James_
  * _Age: 49_
  * _Occupation: Retired Military General_
  * _Eyes: Blue_
  * _Hair: Black/Silver_
  * _Height: 6’6”_
  * _Sign: Taurus_
  * _Hobbies: Traveling, Reading, Tennis, Gym_
  * _Sexual Orientation: Bisexual_
  * _Booking Limitation: One week_
  * _Overnight Stay: Yes_
  * _Willing: Men, Women, Kissing, Cuddling, Hand holding, Sex (limited/extra)_
  * _Not Willing: N/A_
  * _About James:_



_‘Don’t count the days, make the days count.’_

_I’m a simple man, with a simple life and view on life. I’m a firm believer in equality and do not tolerate any injustice against another person’s character. Kindness and compassion are virtues that I admire; honesty and selflessness are traits that I respect. I am open-minded and willing to consider all requests, however, I have no reserves in denying something that I do not feel any interest in._

_Always know, if you are in need of an ally by your side, then I am your man._

Who the hell was this guy?

Qrow’s cheeks hurt from the grin that spread across his face. This James guy was literally perfect; attractive, engaging, funny. Not to mention that with his military background, Qrow was certain that Raven wouldn’t be able to pull any of her crap.

Excitedly, almost bouncing in his seat, Qrow scrolled down further, eagerly looking for the application box to arrange a meet. However, what he saw written down underneath James’ profile had Qrow’s mood shifting and his shoulder’s sagging.

***DUE TO AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF RESPONSE,** **THIS PERSON IS UNAVAILABLE TO BOOK WITH AT THIS TIME***

 **TO BE ADDED TO JAMES’ WAIT LIST:** **_CLICK HERE_ **

Shit… that was a little more than disappointing.

Then again, Qrow really couldn’t say that he was all that surprised. It was clear just from the photos alone that James would be popular. Especially taken into account that the other man was willing to accept requests from both men and women.

Still though… it would have been nice.

Qrow took another quick look at James’ photos before backing out to Atlas’ Community page. Half-heartily browsing through the others - no one really standing out to encourage him to click on.

He knew that his lack of interest was just him sulking and forced himself to at least try viewing a few of them. However, an hour later, annoyance began to settle in, his interest in spending anymore time flipping through countless profiles beginning to aggravate and fray at his senses. Plus, his stomach was doing a fantastic job of reminding him that it was empty and borderline hangry.

Qrow sighed, rubbing his eyes languidly. The small build up of pressure that teased around his temples threatening to blossom into a full fledged headache any moment. He had no idea how many profiles he’d looked at. After Atlas, Qrow had branched out and spent a bit of time skimming through Beacon and Shade, to no avail. Eventually, the faces and details all started to blur and merge into one. And Qrow was having problems deciphering from one person from the next. Hell, he couldn’t even accurately recall a single fact about the last one that he was just looking at.

Qrow rubbed a hand down his face, contemplating. He had two options; one, keep blindlessly looking at each profile one by one, hoping to find someone of interest with an availability to match his own and slowly drive himself mad, or; two, call Raven, admit that he lied and start planning his funeral.

… 

_Or_ , his brain piped up, he could click on that convenient little button at the top of the page that said _Search_. Something he apparently had completely overlooked.

Huh…

Qrow blinked once, twice in bafflement. Here he was, shuffling through each profile individually, when all he had to do was click on one stupid little button, answer a few questions, and he could be off doing something else by now. 

He laughed tiredly, shaking his head at the oversight. Feeling just a little bit silly, after spending - correction - after _wasting_ all that time. And yet, not even once did such a simple thing occur to him.

The search engine was simplistic to use and the questions standard and straight to the point - age range, gender preference, interests, availability, budget, location, etc. Thankfully, the whole thing took no more than a few minutes to complete.

And while the results were calculating, Qrow lend back to wait. His mood lifting significantly at the prospect of possibly being done soon. As thrilling and exciting this whole thing was at the beginning, Qrow very much wanted it over. He was never really a huge fan of being cooped up or sitting still for so long. Even while working, Qrow would take his laptop either outside or to the cafe just down the street. Sometimes he would wander aimlessly, mind going over the scene as he paced, because it helped him think. The only time he really spent confined indoors was when he was at a signing or doing some research. Both of which had timeframes that were carefully and efficiently organized with much needed breaks.

He really should have considered taking one of those much needed breaks beforehand. Especially when the results of his search finished loading.

The laugh started out as a snort, quickly escalating until Qrow was practically doubled over in hysteria. Eventually, although it took a few tries and several deep breaths, he started to calm down, shoulders still shaking from leftover mirth. 

There were three. 

All that time… and _there were only three_ profiles on his screen.

Qrow wiped the wetness from his eyes, still chuckling. The first person on the list was a green eyed busty blonde he recognized as the bug lover. He skipped over her name - **GLYNDA** \- to move on to the next one on the list. He still had no interest in looking at her profile, however, depending on the other two, he might, reluctantly, consider it.

 **MARROW**

There were only two photos on Marrow’s page, both of which made it very obvious of the young man’s love for animals; dogs in particular. Although Qrow's preference in men tended to lean more towards the masculine type, Qrow could admit that he found Marrow adorably cute in his own exotic way. He was lean, with skin a rich tan colour that made his baby blue eyes look almost silver and wavy long hair, pulled back into a classic man-bun.

Plus, Qrow thought, with his apparent love for dogs, he would get along with Tai at the very least. His soon to be brother-in-law being a massive dog lover himself. Hell, if Raven would let him, Qrow was certain that Tai would have a whole herd of them and not just sweet little Zwei.

  * _Marrow_
  * _Age: 23_
  * _Occu -_



Qrow stared at the age displayed for a moment, blinked and hit the back button. Now, Qrow wasn’t a prude, and had dated people younger than him from time to time. However, there was no way in hell he was bringing someone over a decade younger to his she-devil of a sister’s wedding.

Nope. Wasn’t happening.

In fact, Qrow was wondering how Marrow’s profile even popped up, as he was sure that he filled out the search engine for people over thirty.

**CLOVER**

The last profile only had one photo and Qrow found himself staring. It probably wasn’t the greatest photo, by any means. The man was attractive, that much Qrow could tell, but any defining features were a bit hard to make out. His head was turned slightly away from the camera, showcasing a strong jawline, and his expression was caught mid-laugh with his eyes closed. A thick dark grey sweater hid any clues to his physical attributes and a plain navy ball cap sat on his head. He had an arm affectionately thrown over an elderly woman sitting next to him, tucking her closely into his chest. Her own humour was clearly visible, as sharp pale green eyes looked directly at the camera.

_Gammy and I at the lake._

The caption under the photo had Qrow smiling softly. It was heartwarming and sweet, and spoke volumes of family affection. Something that hit Qrow right in the heart, easily making it his favourite photo of the day. He was a sucker for the family types and wasn’t afraid to admit it. And this photo, though simplistic as it was, had completely captivated his heart with the sheer amount of love it displayed.

  * _Clover_
  * _Age: 31_
  * _Occupation: Marine Mammalogist_
  * _Eyes: Greenish_
  * _Hair: Brown_
  * _Height: 6’3”_
  * _Sign: Pieces_
  * _Hobbies: Fishing, Sailing, Camping, Hiking, Jogging, Reading, Chess_
  * _Sexual Orientation: Gay_
  * _Booking Limitation: Depends_
  * _Overnight Stay: N/A_
  * _Willing: Men, Women, Kissing on the cheek, Cuddling, Hand holding_
  * _Not Willing: Sex_
  * _About Clover:_
  * _Salutations and Welcome!_



_Thanks so much for taking time to check out my profile. I realize the photo isn’t much to look at, but a very dear woman to my heart once told me: “it’s not about what our eyes can see, but the feeling that is created from what we see”._

_I am a naturally optimistic person and believe in the best of people. I do my best to live each day with that in mind and to live every moment appreciating the little things. I enjoy helping people and won’t hesitate whenever I am able; whether it’s making them smile and laugh, or offering my assistance in a time of need._

_**Please know, I am not a regular here; Remnant has kindly agreed to partner with myself and some others to participate in various charity events. All proceeds will go towards our individual charities that we are representing. So I am only available for a short time._

Qrow reread the whole thing a few times, debating. Again, the photo wasn’t really much to go on, although he still got that warm fuzzy feeling when he looked at it - there was something about that woman's gaze that really captivated him - and the rest of Clover’s profile was appealing in its own way. Qrow exceptionally admired how Clover was on the site raising funds for charity. It spoke greatly of the type of character the man possessed, and just like the whole family aspect, Qrow was a sucker for that type of thing. He himself had spent a great deal of time volunteering whenever he could and even helped with a vast number of fundraisers over the years.

So then, why was he hesitating, second guessing himself now of all times? Fingers hovering over his keyboard, suddenly feeling nervous and somewhat anxious? Maybe, dare he say, even a little bit _bashful?_

Shaking his head at the nonsensical thought, Qrow began to slowly fill out the application form at the bottom of the page, taking care on how he phrased his words. It didn’t request anything explicit; only inquired about his name, contact info and a brief description about what he was looking for. When he finished, he didn’t allow himself a moment to change his mind and quickly clicked on the send button. His own request being processed in a matter of seconds before a confirmation that it had been successful sent popped up on the screen.

Qrow slouched back into his chair, exhaling languorously. All the nervous tension rushing out of him. It seemed a bit ridiculous now that it was all done and over.

There was no turning back now. Either he would get a response or he wouldn’t. If all else failed, he could always find a way to bribe Robyn into being his date. It wasn’t likely that she would go, but it was the only back-up plan that he could think of. Even if there was a higher chance of hell freezing over first.

Not wanting to spend anymore time thinking about the ‘what ifs’, Qrow pushed it all to the back of his mind to worry about another time. He had other pressing matters that needed his attention.

Specifically that much need bathroom break and pizza.

~ * ~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait guys. I’ve been having a bit of a mental block lately - I can see the scene but the words have eluded me lol. I initially planned to have this out a lot sooner, however, I wasn’t happy with the end result of this or Chapter 3… so I scrapped them both and started over. The end still feels a little rushed, so I might go back and tweak it a little here and there. Next chapter will also be a bit delayed as I prep from FairGame week. Thanks in advance for your understanding :)
> 
> I couldn’t decide on which pairing name to use, Ironqrow or Tin Feathers. So instead, I just combined them. Truth be told, I actually quite like Iron Feathers compared to the other two. I also thought that, instead of what I did last chapter, it would be fun to throw in a twist and play on the pairing words… ;p
> 
> Huge thank yous for all the kudos and lovely comments. I cannot even begin to express what it means to me and I love hearing what you guys think!!
> 
> Thanks again for reading and I’ll see ya'll next chapter!!
> 
> 💙💚💜


	3. Lucky Charms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Due to some confusion about what the story is about - I've update the description. Sorry for the trouble <3

The Solitas Cafe was a quaint little venue, with white tiled floors and dark wood trimmings along the ceiling. There was an open-conspect to the place; the front of the cafe was mostly all windows with a mini-bar-like seating area, allowing plenty of natural sunlight. Whereas the back wall was crafted into a giant archway, where the service counter sat and the kitchen lay further beyond. The walls were painted a soft off-white with paintings by local artists acting as the main decor, colourful flowers outlining every window ledge in cute white planters and different kinds of hanging plants hung from the trimmings overhead; their tendrils wrapping and reaching across, the rich green of the leaves vibrant against the dark wood. The tables and chairs were bistro style done in matching dark colours, and evenly spaced; a little cactus or candle on every tabletop.

It was quiet and charming. The exact place to go when one needed somewhere peaceful to sit and relax.

Which is exactly why it was easily one of Qrow’s favourite places to come. The whole atmosphere of the cafe had a pleasant cozy feeling to it, and always made him feel at ease and calm. Not to mention the treats were always fresh and delicious, and the coffee smooth and strong. Some days he would come here to write, others to just sit and enjoy a nice quiet afternoon. Content to just watch the continuous hustle and bustle around him.

It was his happy place. A type of comfort zone to him. It was the sole reason why he picked it to meet his ‘date’. He had wanted a place familiar and comfortable, hoping that it would help relieve any kind of nerves he would have.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t working.

Qrow sat at his usual table tucked over into one of the corners, halfway through his third cup of coffee. His leg was bouncing under the table nervously, and his fingers alternated between strumming and tapping against the table's surface. He’d tense every time the bell over the door dinged as people came and went, ruby eyes darting back and forth between the door and his coffee.

He was early; ridiculously so with nearly an hour before their scheduled meet time. Qrow had wanted to give himself some breathing room; get settled, have a coffee or two and just take a moment to mentally prepare. Which he was starting to regret doing, now that he was sitting there on a caffeine high. The longer he sat there, the more time he had to think and ponder.

And that was _never_ a good thing.

Instead of unwinding, like he had originally hoped, Qrow found himself at his wits end. He couldn’t stop his imagination from spinning out of control. The endless what ifs and scenarios running rampant across his thoughts, making his stomach turn and palms sweat. He was starting to think this whole thing was a really bad idea. And had to physically stop himself from reaching for his phone to cancel.

If he was being honest with himself, Qrow was actually surprised with how quickly he got a response and was rather impressed on how easy it was to settle on a time and place. At first, it was a little off putting, but when he had talked Robyn about it, she said it was completely normal for people to get back to inquiries within a day or so. Sometimes sooner.

At first, he had been ecstatic when the date and time was set. Qrow had found himself practically bouncing in his skin with the amount of energy that exploded and coursed through him. He felt impatient and restless as the week sluggishly passed, and even found it difficult to focus on work, much to Robyn’s annoyance and amusement.

Now, however… 

Now that the day was finally here, Qrow found himself wanting nothing more than to run for the hills and hide. Whatever excitement and energy that drove him through the week had completely fizzled out, leaving nothing left but a frantic mess of a man that looked like he was about to have an aneurysm at any moment.

God… he felt like he was going to throw up. Probably looked like it too, if the way everyone kept glancing at him was any indication. And he was fairly certain that he was making the serving staff increasingly uneasy.

Qrow ran his fingers through his hair, taking a deep breath to try and settle himself. He just had to remember how to breathe. Breathing was good. Breathing helped. He just had to keep breathing - in, then out. That’s how breathing worked, right?

In and out.

In…

Out…

He could do this. _In._ He was a full-grown man, perfectly capable of meeting someone for a cup of coffee. _Out._ He would _not_ have an anxiety attack. _In._ He would not entertain the thought of jumping to his feet and making a break for it. _Out._ He was fine… he could do this…

Qrow relaxed back into his chair, hands curling around his mug. The warmth that seeped through the porcelain helped to further calm his nerves as a small, yet slightly shaky smile slowly tugged at his lips. He took another deep breath, already starting to feel more calm and collected, and felt a tiny flare of confidence coming back.

Oh yeah… he’s totally got this.

Qrow flinched as his phone buzzed, nearly spilling his beverage. He fumbled for the device, doing his best to ignore the strange looks sent his way - again - and felt some of the tension ease from his shoulders upon seeing Robyn’s name displayed on the screen.

_‘Nervous?’_

Qrow debated ignoring her. And probably would have if it was anyone else. With Robyn, however, ignoring her usually only ended up encouraging her. The last thing he needed was her poking at him when he had just started to get his zen back. ‘ _Nope.’_

_‘Lol bullshit’_

He snortded at her instant response and began to carefully type out his reply when another message came through.

_‘Knowing you, you’re probably already there and worked yourself into a nervous wreck’_

Oh how well she knew him.

_‘Ya’no, it’s not too late for me to call James… He does owe me a favour ;)’_

Qrow’s eyes widen, his brain momentarily short circuiting. He fidgeted with his phone, fingers flying over the keys. _‘Don’t you fucking dare!’_

Qrow and Robyn had always been able to talk to each other about anything; school, work, family, sex, relationships. Hell, Robyn had been the first person that Qrow admitted to being bisexual. Of course, he was completely wasted at the time and had blurted it out without thinking. Not that it came all that much of a shock to the blonde. In fact, she had thrown her arm over his shoulders, told him _‘well duh’_ , and toasted him for being out and proud.

So when Robyn had been over for their weekly “business” meeting - complete with Chinese take-out and boxed wine - Qrow had no qualms with filling her in about how his search on RRD went. And because it was Robyn - and maybe a little liquid assistance from the wine - he didn’t leave out a single detail about a certain drop-dead gorgeous, mouth watering blue eyed **hunk** named James. Or how he wouldn’t mind a small piece of _that_ and even pouted about how incredibly disappointing and unfair it was.

Qrow had expected her laughter, her teasing. What he wasn’t expecting, however, was for Robyn to not only know said hunk but to be close personal friends with the man. As it turned out, James had been Robyn’s mentor back when she first joined the site. He had shown her the ropes so to speak; explained the rules and helped her with any and all questions that she had. They had gotten along so well, that when Robyn quit, they stayed in touch as friends.

So after she was done teasing Qrow, Robyn had _oh so graciously_ offered to call James and set the two of them up. He declined… and rather loudly too. Which only encouraged his cousin to poke fun at him some more. He had to admit though, Qrow had found himself more than a little tempted to take her up on the offer. May have even considered it if he hadn’t already reached out to someone else.

The know-it-all didn’t need to know that, though. Even if Qrow suspected that she already knew. He would even bet money that wherever Robyn was now, she was still probably laughing at him.

The bitch.

_‘Fine but the offer still stands if you change your mind.’_

But she was his bitch, Qrow thought with a smile. He really was fortunate to have such an amazing cousin looking out for him.

_‘btw, I also hacked your phone and moved up your meet time. You can thank me later, have fun xx’_

…

 _…_ **_no_ ** _…_

She wouldn’t… There was no way Robyn would do that to him, right? Surely she was only kidding - pulling a prank to try and help distract him… right?

He tried to ignore the slow feeling of dread that twisted in his stomach, or how his chest suddenly felt tight and the simple act of breathing became labored. And his hands were definitely _not_ shaking as he pulled up his email messages. He was overreacting. Nothing more, nothing less. Because there was no way that Robyn would…

Everything stopped as a message that Qrow didn’t recognize, and most certainly did not send, stared up at him. The simple verse saying nothing more than requesting to meet up sooner. And to his absolute horror, there was a short _‘no problem’_ directly underneath.

Qrow changed his mind. His cousin was the devil. An evil abomination that haunted and plagued his very existence. Her sole function on this earth to torment him and make his life a living hell. And he was going to fucking _murder_ her.

**_“FUCK!”_ **

“Uh… Qrow Branwen?”

Rage clouded his vision as he snapped his head up, ready to verbally blast whatever idiot thought it would be a good idea to bother him while he was very clearly agitated. The words were on the tip of his tongue, locked and loaded for rhetorical execution. His eyes seeking his target with killing intent and keen accuracy.

Only to find none other than Ace Fable standing before him in the flesh.

Speech seemed to fail Qrow for a moment as he stared at the man in front of him. His brain taking its sweet time to process what, or rather, whom he was seeing. Idly, he wondered if perhaps the vast amount of stress from the last week had finally caught up to him, causing him to start hallucinating. He could think of worse things for his mind to conjure; in fact, Qrow was quite pleased and - if he was being honest - extremely smitten with the bewitching creature before him.

Handsome was the first word that crossed his mind, but the word felt flat and dull, almost lacking in its entirety. In fact, Qrow was having difficulty finding a word - any word - to accurately describe just how attractive the man was.

A strong face, Qrow observed, with a well pronounced jawline and high cheekbones. His nose was straight, slightly upturned at the end; thin lips, just a touch of pink in colour that had Qrow subconsciously licking his own. His eyes - by the gods, his eyes - seemed endless and the most exquisite shade of turquoise-green Qrow had ever seen. And his hair, a rich chestnut brown swept back from a wide brow in a casual, careless sweep.

And that was only his face.

Qrow’s eyes slowly descended downward. The olive green v-neck he wore had long sleeves pushed up to his elbows and encased his upper body like second skin; the material straining tightly over broad shoulders, a wide chest and well defined arms, leaving little to none to the imagination. A delicate silver chain with a shamrock charm stood out against bronze skin, drawing the eye to the exquisite slope of his neck and collar bone. Long powerful legs and accommodating hips - their curvature the perfect width and depth to comfortably mold around, his hind-brain noted - were unfortunately hidden by a pair of black cargo pants that fit, just barely, on the right side of snug.

Qrow allowed his eyes to trail back up lazily; visually drinking up every detail that he could, lingering on a few chosen areas for longer appreciation and appraisal.

By everything holy and sinful in this world, the man was breathtaking.

“I hope I’m not interrupting.” Voice smooth and sweet like honey, caressed Qrow’s ears. In that instant, the author decided that the deep baritone was one of his new favourite sounds, and very much wanted to keep listening to the other man talk. It didn’t matter what; so long as he could continue to hear that heavenly voice. “You are Qrow Branwen, yes?”

Finally eyes connected, garnet to emerald; one unfocused and dreamy, the other confident and amused.

It took another moment for Qrow to realize that a hand was stretched out to him in greeting. As if in a dream, he watched as his own reached out, a jolt rushing through him as his hand was encased gently in a firm hold. Warmth spreading from where they touched, forcing Qrow to become suddenly very aware of two things.

This man was most definitely not Ace Fable… nor was he a hallucination, but real flesh and bone…

_Well, shit…_

Qrow cleared his throat and tried to remember that breathing was a natural bodily function. “I… uh… yes?”

“Oh good!” A grin spread across that ridiculously enticing face, a dimple peeking out as he laughed, the sound causing a tremer to dance down Qrow’s spin. Oh, he _liked_ that. He could get used to that sound. “I was starting to worry that I had the wrong person.”

Qrow wasn’t really sure how to respond. “O-okay…” He frowned as his hand was released, already missing the touch. “And… you are?”

“Clover.” Another laugh was his reward, accompanied with another delightful little tingle. “Clover Ebi. From Remnant?”

Qrow’s jaw unhinged, a rather unflattering gwak of surprise escaping his mouth. His eyes moved on their own as they swept down the other man’s body again, trying to connect the man to the photo.

Of course, there was no comparison. Sure Clover’s picture hinted at the possibility of the man’s good looks, but there was no way in heaven or hell it could ever hold a candle to the real thing. It was like calming that cookies with raisins were just as delicious as ones made with chocolate chips. And Qrow shamelessly had a weakness for chocolate.

“I hope I didn’t keep you waiting long.”

“Huh?” Qrow blinked owlishly. He followed Clover’s line of sight to Qrow’s forgotten mug, it’s contents more than half gone. “Oh, no.” He tried to laugh, attempting to make it sound as casual as possible. “No, you’re fine. I was just a little early.”

“Oh, good.” Clover sighed in relief. He gestured to the counter behind him. “I’m going to grab something real quick. Can I get you anything? A refill, perhaps?”

Qrow swallowed thickly, his throat suddenly extremely dry and feeling very, _very_ parched. “Uh… n-no. No, I’m good thanks.”

“Alright. If you change your mind, give me a shout.” Clover shifted and began to walk away, that frustrating tempting and attractive mouth still smiling. “I’ll be right back.”

Qrow was staring. He knew he was staring. And he was fairly certain he was drooling, too. Not that anyone could really blame him. The man’s ass was just as impressively appealing as the rest of him. The way that muscular posture clenched as Clover walked was mesmerizing and quite easily one of the most amazing pieces of artwork of human anatomy that Qrow had ever seen.

Qrow bite the inside of his cheek to fight the urge to groan. He gave Clover one more appreciated once over and forced his eyes away, mentally chastising himself. He was acting like some hormonal, thirsty teenager.

He stared out the window, brows pinching. It really has been a while, hasn’t it? If he was being honest with himself, Qrow couldn’t even remember the last time he had been on a proper date or had any genuine interest in someone. After his last break-up, he had decided that the whole thing was just a big waste of time and instead poured all of his attention into his work. He had long ago buried the sense of loneliness and longing for companionship with drive and ambition to succeed in his career. And would have probably continued to do so if Raven hadn’t gotten under his skin. He would have showed up at her wedding, alone and single, and not even bat an eye.

Now, due to his sister’s charming personality and his lying dumbass, Qrow has been forced once again to acknowledge his desire for that connection. An acknowledgement that came with a startling reboot to his libido and was becoming increasingly aware of just how touch starved he really was.

First James, with his stupidly seductive allure, and now with Clover and his cursive charismatic charm. It also didn’t help matters that the brunet was the walking, talking physical embodiment of Qrow’s long standing fantasies and wet dreams. It really was eerily coincidental just how much Clover looked like his Ace. And maybe… maybe he was a tiny bit pleased about it.

It didn’t take Clover long to return, the cafe wasn’t really all that busy this time of day. The ridiculously large mug that he cradled smelling distinctively like coffee with the unmistakable telltale undertone of chocolate and a hint of fresh peppermint.

It would appear that Clover had a bit of a sweet tooth.

The small tidbit of information had Qrow snickering. It was such a _human_ thing; so simple in nature, that Qrow found himself relaxing and smiling. It was actually rather cute.

“Got a thing for sweets, huh?”

“We all have our guilty pleasures.” Clover winked playfully, taking a long sip. He closed his eyes and hummed indulgently, his tongue darting out to claim any of the lingering sugary sweetness on his lips.

And just like that… Qrow’s mind took another deep dive.

_God-damn-it-son-of-a-bitch-fuck-a-wild-man-whore!_

A red hot blush inflamed Qrow’s face as his mind hit the bottom of the gutter. He quickly turned away as those teal eyes focused on him again. A single brow rising up innocently at him. The smirk and the look in those eyes, however, was anything but, and implicated that Clover knew exactly where Qrow’s mind had gone.

Qrow rubbed the back of his neck. How exactly was he supposed to respond to that? Was he expected to flirt back? Fuck… did he even remember how to flirt?

“So… Qrow,” Clover paused, taking another quick sip of his mocha. He shifted to lean slightly closer to Qrow’s chair. “May I call you Qrow?”

Qrow nodded, still not completely trusting his voice. Subconsciously he drifted just a little bit closer; his body moving as if drawn in by some invisible force.

He was rewarded by another soft smile, sending another light tingle down his spine and his heart gave a little thump. A light blush colouring Qrow’s cheeks as he tried not to squirm in his seat. He wasn’t that touch starved… was he?

“Please, tell me about this wedding.” Clover continued. “It’s for your sister, yes?”

Qrow ran his fingers through his hair, the familiar action grounding him. “Yeah. Her and her partners have decided to make things official.”

“Partners?”

Qrow told him about Raven and Summer; how they met and their romance throughout high school. How they met Taiyang in college and the unexpected love triangle that had formed from a random night of passion. He didn’t dissolve into too much detail, just enough to give Clover a sense of what his family was like. Qrow knew from past experiences that not everyone was as open-minded about certain things - polyamorous relationships were still rare and were often misinterpreted and misunderstood. Not everyone was comfortable about such things.

An image of his father came to mind; face hard as stone, eyes fierce in disapproval and lips constantly twisted in disgust.

Qrow really hoped the bastard wasn’t invited.

Clover didn’t seem to be phased by the unique dynamic of his sister’s relationship. Even when Qrow off-handedly mentioned his young nieces. In fact, the other man seemed rather intrigued by the whole thing.

When Clover prompted for more, Qrow went on to admit that his and Raven’s relationship wasn’t the greatest. Although it had vastly improved over the years, they still usually always ended up bickering like children. More times than not, it always ended with Raven getting under his skin in that very special way of hers.

Qrow hadn’t really planned on telling Clover the whole story. The man was just so easy to talk to that Qrow found himself just blurting it out. Everything. The dreadful phone call, the lie that sealed his fate and his desperate attempt to cover his ass by _hiring_ someone to be his date.

Ugh… how much more pathetic could he get?

Qrow rubbed his neck awkwardly, trying really hard to be patient while Clover absorbed it all. In all honesty, Qrow wouldn’t be surprised if Clover just got up and walked away.

“So…” 

Qrow took a deep breath, ready for the ‘thanks but no thanks’ speech that was bound to happen.

“When’s the wedding?”

Wait… what?

“Uh… two weeks from tomorrow.” Qrow answered. He felt a small flicker of hope bloom in his chest.

Clover frowned thoughtfully. “Hmmm… That won’t work. My contract with Remnant expires this weekend.”

Qrow’s shoulders slouched in defeat. “Figures.” He flashed Clover a weak smile, pushing away from the table to stand up. “Well… thanks for your time.”

“Hold on a second.” Clover reached out and gently touched Qrow’s arm, successfully halting the author’s escape. “My contract might be over, but that doesn’t mean that I’m not going to help you.”

“Really?” Qrow asked. That little flare of hope sparking once more.

“Of course.” Clover smiled, shoulders rising in a casual shrug. “I mean, it sounds like fun.”

“But your contract…”

“Don’t worry about it.” Clover waved him off and pulled out his phone, a little cute horseshoe charm catching Qrow’s eye. “We’ll just register today as the date instead of a meet. That way the money still goes to charity. If that works for you?”

Qrow nodded. “Sounds good.”

“I’ll also need to grab your number.” Clover continued. “Two weeks isn’t a lot of time. But… we might be able to convince everyone we’re dating without too much of an issue if we spend more time together.”

“Oh… uh… sure…” Qrow accepted the phone. He began to slowly type in his number, getting to the third digit before Clover’s word finally sunk in. He spun his head around, eyes wide. “ _W… what?_ ”

Clover was the embodiment of relaxed aloofness; the perfect reflection of calm. There was no trace of the inner workings of his mind, not a single clue to what the man was possibly thinking. His smile was soft, with just the slightest upturn on the sides. His eyes, however, was another story. There was a spark of something unknown in those teal depths - one that spoke of forbidden promises and wickedness.

It made Qrow _ache_ in the most sinful ways.

Qrow licked his lips, hesitated. “I, uh…” He cleared his throat, trying to dislodge the sudden lump. “I don’t know if-”

Clover was quick to cut him off. “Although, I usually work weekends -”

“- wait, I -”

“- but I’ll be sure to book that one off in advance -”

“Clover-”

“I’m free in the evenings during the week, though. We can meet up then, if that works?”

“- s-sure… but-”

“Then, it’s settled.” Clover leaned into his personal space, his sudden close proximity causing Qrow’s ability to think properly to malfunction. A hand rested on Qrow’s knee. The touch soft and gentle, just a whisper of contact before settling more firmly.

Wide crimson eyes darted from the hand to the playful jade orbs of the man beside him. The intensity in Clover’s gaze had Qrow blushing furiously and his heart racing.

They were so close. _Too close._ All he had to do was move an inch to close the remaining distance between them. Just a small tilt of his head and Qrow would become intimately knowledgeable and familiar with those lips; their taste, their texture.

How would those lips feel against his own, he wondered. Would they be soft and attentive in their gentle coaxing? Like a luscious delicacy waiting to be savoured? Or would they demand penance from him? Seeking payment for their pleasurable service? Maybe there would be a lingering sweetness from the man’s mocha; or a tang of fresh, cool peppermint to help awaken sleeping taste buds.

“ _Qrow…_ ”

Oh saying his name like that was _cheating._

Qrow’s attention was drawn back to Clover’s hand, another blush flooding his cheeks as it squeezed ever so slightly. The tender feeling of those fingers brushing delicately over him leaving behind a blazing trail in their wake as they lazily slipped away. He followed the motion of that appendage as it lifted up, a slender digit tapping lightly against the black phone he held.

“Your number.”

“I…” Qrow blinked down at the forgotten device in his hands, bewildered. He absently entered the last digits, completely distracted by the lingering warmth and sensation that danced under his skin. When he finished, he could only watch as Clover carefully extracted and reclaimed his property.

“Lucky me." Another wink. "Do you have any plans after this?”

Qrow shook his head, still a little enthralled and more than just a little bit stupefied. He inhaled deeply, trying to recenter himself, and exhaled heavily. “No… no, I don’t.”

_What the hell just happened?_

Clover beamed at him, “Would you like to grab some lunch?”

Qrow studied the other man, contemplating and weighing his options. “What did you have in mind?”

Clover gestured to the large wall menu. “They’ve got a pretty good selection here. We could order something. Talk and get to know each other a bit better.” He smirked, a brow lifting in a silent challenge. That smoldering look back in his eyes. “That is… _if_ you’re up for it.”

Oh… so that’s how he wanted to play, was it? Innocent and charming one minute, devilish little brat then next, huh? Well… two could play that game.

“Led the way, Shamrock.”

~ * ~

Qrow’s fingers practically flew across the keyboard, the appendages dancing gracefully over the keys, the rhythmic clicking filling the air with their music. Tempo varied; quick and light, slow and sharp, but no matter the speed or intensity, the feeling that it created inside of Qrow’s chest was absolute.

He’d been working steadily for nearly two hours, maybe three, and couldn’t remember the last time he had such clarity; his body almost moving on autopilot to try and capture every thought, every line, every detail. It was all coming so fast to him. Almost too fast - he couldn’t stop to process or inspect what he had written before the next thought was taking hold of him. It was a curse and blessing; it prevented overthinking and allowed his creativity to flow naturally, however, sometimes it also led to an intangible mess that could take hours to properly sort through.

And there would be areas in much needed revising; he had no doubt that he would have a number of edits to correct, scenes to be reread and shaped appropriately. There was no logical way that he had accurately or fully grasped every element. He could clearly see the numerous grammar and spelling mishaps that his computer had conveniently highlighted for him. But those would have to wait for a later time. What was important now was to get it all down, everything else didn’t matter.

Qrow faintly registered the sound of his name, the acknowledgement coming and going, not even bothering to stop or ponder about it. He could not allow his focus to be broken for the risk of losing his train of thought. He was nearly there… to stop now would be a writing travesty. Anything and everything would be an unnecessary distraction.

“Qrow?”

Robyn’s voice, which sounded just a tad annoyed, was closer now and easily disrupted the peaceful melody inside the room. Qrow frowned as he kept his fingers moving, eyes narrowing at his screen in stubborn concentration.

He did his best to ignore the sound of her voice, as well as the sudden mouth-watering scent of food that wafted through the air. His fingers slowing to a stop as his mind began to shift gears; his mind's eye now visualizing the tasty morsels that his cousin had brought with her. There would undoubtedly wine with their dinner feast, as well. Did she bring white, he wondered; tart and savoury like last time? Or perhaps red; bold and rich, to compliment the scents in the air?

“Qrow?”

_“Fuck off!”_

The room became eerily silent, save for the sound of his harsh breathing. Robyn had thankfully recognised the tone of Qrow’s desperate plea as his work voice - reserved only for those who couldn’t take a hint and leave him be. He was intensely aware of Robyn as she made her way to the kitchen; could hear the bags crunch as they were placed on the counter, cupboards opening and closing, dishes clanking.

Damn it.

Panic and annoyance seeped into him as he stared blankly at his screen. He backtracked a few pages, eyes skimming over the words, hoping that he could salvage the moment of interruption and rekindle his focus. It took a couple of attempts, but fortunately he found it slowly coming back to him.

Qrow worked gradually, wavering once or twice to consider and ponder before pressing on. With his tunnel vision now broken, the pace was much slower than the brisk and rushed rate that he had earlier. He didn’t let it bother him - just allowed his body to naturally find its own tempo again.

Just a little bit more… he was nearly there… one final touch and…

_Done._

A grin spread across his face as he clicked the final period into place, bringing the chapter to a close. He laughed in delight, slouching back into his chair, the hum of satisfaction buzzing through his veins. He closed his eyes as he allowed the feeling of adrenaline to wash over him.

Qrow _loved_ the feeling that raced through him whenever he completed his work; especially on days like today. Of course, the high was nothing compared to when he actually finished a story; but the rush was in no way any less exhilarating.

He allowed himself to indulge in the sensation for a moment longer before slowly going about saving his progress. A copy being stored away on his laptop, a second put safely on a portable USB and a third and final one sent to his private email. It was a bit extreme but past experiences had taught him to be a bit cautious. One last quick check to make sure everything was saved and sent properly and Qrow pushed away from this desk.

He made his way to the kitchen, a spring in his step. Robyn had already dished out the food and had a generous glass of wine waiting for him. Spicy chicken and bean curry with rich red wine. Perfect.

Qrow hopped up onto the counter, a forkful already making its way into his mouth. “Mmm… thanks.”

Robyn rolled her eyes at him. “Don’t mention it.” She raised a brow at him, mildly entertained and disgusted at how he was practically shovelling his food into his mouth. “You gonna elaborate on that message you sent me?”

He shrugged, reaching for his wine to take a long sip. “Bout what?”

A blonde brow twitched. “Qrow, you texted me _‘it’s done’_ almost an hour ago, and then ignored me when I tried to text or call you back.” She leaned against the countertop, gesturing with her glass. “Are you gonna explain or do I have to beat it out of you?”

Qrow grinned, that same electric feeling of accomplishment coming back full-force. He couldn’t really blame Robyn for being a bit annoyed with him. He had jumped right into his work the minute he had got home, only pausing to send a quick text to Robyn about the progress that he had made before surging on. He hadn’t bothered to clarify the texts’ meaning; the thought not really crossing his mind at the time.

“It’s done.”

_“What’s done?”_

Oh yeah… she was definitely irritated with him.

Qrow didn’t answer; just winked at her as he took another slow pull of wine and waited. It didn’t take long, a moment or two of silence before violet eyes widened in disbelief.

“No… done? As in done-done?”

“Yep!” Qrow laughed happily at her shocked expression. He raised his glass up in a toast, lightly clinking it against her own and draining the last of its contents. “Finished, edited and waiting for review. _And…”_ He paused for dynamic effect, refilling his glass. “I’ve already got the next volumes’ first four chapters drafted and outlined.”

Robyn whistled in disbelief. “Wow… that’s… incredible.” He hummed in response as he continued eating, not really bothering to answer. Another moment passed between them before she carefully spoke again. “So… the meet went well then?”

Qrow thought about it for a moment before answering. “It went alright, I guess.” He sent a glare her way. “You’re a bitch, by the way.”

“You love me.” A bird was flipped her way in response, making her chuckle. “Quit your bitching and _spill.”_

Qrow took a moment to collect his thoughts before beginning. He spoke slowly, taking his time recounting his meeting with Clover. He told her about how at first he thought the man a figment of his imagination, the confession erupting a laugh from the blonde. Although, he did skip the minor detail about mistaking Clover for Ace. There are some things that Robyn really didn’t need to know. He explained in as much detail about how they discussed Qrow’s predicament over lunch and the plan of action that had been plotted.

By the time he finished, their plates were empty and they polished off most of the wine. The contentment of a full belly and light buzz had Qrow sighing as he relaxed. Robyn was nearly silent throughout his whole tale, a snort of humour here and there her only input.

“So… you’re seeing him again, why exactly?”

Qrow rolled his eyes. “Cuz it’s _Raven_.” When Robyn didn’t respond, he sighed. Did he really have to explain this? “If we show up not knowing anything about each other, she’ll know that I lied.”

“So you’re going to get to know each other - ”

“Yes.”

“ - by texting, calling and hanging out together - ”

“Correct.”

“ - and _pretend_ to date - ”

“Pretend, yes.”

“ - just to trick Raven?”

“Exactly.”

Robyn studied him for a moment, her brow twitching upward and a slow knowing smile stretching across her lips. “And your sudden… _perkiness…_ has nothing to do with this Clover guy? It’s all for the sake of tricking Raven.” She shook her head in amusement. “Guess I won’t be needing to call James after all.”

“Who?” Qrow tilted his head in confusion, completely missing the look of bafflement on Robyn’s face. Although, the name did sound familiar but the recognition was lost on him. Whatever. Didn’t matter. “And I’m not _perky_ ” - a snort had him glaring - “I’m just _relieved_. Raven won’t figure out that I lied and I finished my book. It’s been a great fucking day!”

The blonde hummed in agreement, violet eyes calculating. “Apparently.”

“That reminds me.” Qrow hopping off the counter and tossed back the last of his wine. “I’ve got your draft printed back in my study.”

He left the room with almost bouncing in his excitement, none the wiser to the inner thoughts that his unusual mood had sprung inside Robyn’s head.

~ * ~

Robyn lend a hip against the counter as she watched Qrow practically skipped from the kitchen, smirking into her wine as she took a slow sip. It had been a long time since she’s seen such… energy from the normally reclusive man. A sight that she found both enormously entertaining and highly fascinating.

The fact that Qrow had pretty much all but forgotten about James was a testament in of itself. She had been fairly certain that she would end up calling her friend; would have even bet money on it. Despite how much Qrow had protested, she knew that he secretly really wanted her to. He wasn’t as good at hiding his emotions as he thought he was. Not from her, anyways.

Which is why she found herself curious about this Clover fellow.

She twirled her wine thoughtfully, pondering while she took another sip. The current turn of events were proving to be more and more enthralling by the minute. Idly she wondered when - or rather _if_ \- it would dawn on her dear beloved cousin that he had told Raven that he had a **_date_ ** to the wedding, not that he was actually **_dating_ ** someone.

This was going to be interesting…

~ * ~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!!
> 
> My humblest apologies for the long wait. With everything that has been going on lately, work has been super crazy and I haven't really had any time to sit down and get any writing done. I even have 5 unfinished stories that were originally for FGW2020 that I was unable to complete or post in time. I do plan on posting them eventually, but I'm going to focus on this baby first. This chapter is a fair bit longer than the previous two, so I hope that makes up for the wait a bit. I'm also going to be throwing in a little _treat_ next chapter, so keep your eyes peeled ;P
> 
> Thank you so much for all the love and support on this story!! It really means a lot to me. It makes me so happy that everyone seems to be enjoying it so far. Let me know what you think of the new chapter. Any and all feed back is welcome!!
> 
> PS - I just recently downloaded tumblr and although I'm still lear ing how to use it, feel free to swing by and say hi!  
> misscharles8.tumblr.com


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